Since I am located in Macau, the vehicle will have to travel from Dingolfing to Hong Kong then Macau. Expected landing in November.

Have been working on this order with my local BMW dealer since Christmas 2011. Now the remaining 4 month wait. Absolutely the longest BMW order I have ever experienced. Glad that it is finally confirmed.

Thanks again for all the info shared by my fellow team members in this forum. It certainly helped me narrow down on the numerous options and combinations that I had to deal with.

Special thanks to Southern6er22 whose dedication to the 6er is absolutely second to none.

Thanks Southern6er22. Yes, the information you shared is definitely helpful.

There was a very brief moment during the process that I was undecided whether to go with the coupe or gran coupe. Pictures of your coupe reaffirmed the decision to go with the coupe. There is simply no substitute for the long doors and sloping window of the coupe.

The Gran Coupe is undeniably a beautiful car, and I think it is the best execution of the 4-door coupe concept. I was very impressed with the exterior and the presence of the car when I was looking at the one at my dealership. The Nevada interior and lack of Nappa dash/contrast stitching, however, made for a very disappointing interior in a car with a sticker price of $104k.

While the GC is a looker, I still prefer the looks of the coupe if aesthetics are the most important factor. For me, that was the case as I don't need a practical car at this point in my life. I agree that the sloping roofline, slimmer window, and longer doors give the car the classic, luxury coupe look. I think the door sills on the coupe look nicer (more substantial) than the Gran Coupe. I know there's not too much you can do about that as you are obviously going to have narrower openings with 4 doors instead of 2, but they looked a bit dinky on the GC, particularly in the back. Not a big deal by any means (hard to find legit "problems" with cars at this level), and it's only noticeable when you compare side-by-side. I'm nit picking here, but just little things I noticed.

Beautifully said. I agree that the GC is very well-executed and will certainly give the Panamera and the CLS some stiff competition. A remarkable choice if practicality is a factor. However, like you, two doors are all I and my significant other need in this vehicle at this stage of our lives. Looking forward to sharing some photos when the vehicle arrives.

One more thing, the GC I saw was finished in Frozen Bronze with the bare minimum Dakota Black interior. While I am sure the frozen paint may find immediate appeal to some, I wasn't quite confident that the appeal would be sustainable, at least not for me. Somehow, the thought of not having a mirror-like reflection after detailing the car is just not right for me. Thoughts?

I think it does run the risk of being a color you might get sick of after a while. The pics of these matte cars look very cool and different, but I might get tired of it after 5 years - particularly if additional care is required. The matte gray on an M3 on that episode of Top Gear (where they put it up against the Audi equivalent) looked really cool. If I were leasing I'd likely be more willing to try it, but it's a bit much for my commitment issues to cope with lol.

I like the color on the GC with M Sport, but I think the car needs to be trimmed with every other luxury option to match the special color. It would definitely get points for being distinctive, and I think it makes the car trend more toward the luxury end of the luxury-sporty spectrum.

The frozen colors are cool (ha ha....), but probably a short lived trend. The best you can do if you want that look is to wrap it. When tired of it, just tear it off.
Anyway, nothing beats a glossy and well maintained paint.

The GC at my dealer is fully loaded when it comes to interior options. It looks extremely attractive and would probably be my choice if I could only have one car in my garage. Would be tough living without the soft top though.....

Insightful as usual Southern6er22. The matte look certainly is different in a sea of glossy cars. However, I am also reminded that the 6er already stands out as it is uncommon where I am located. I eventually figured that it can hold its own without any help from an uncommon paint finish. Perhaps the next car if the current frozen fad remains over next couple of years and becomes more mature to maintain. Playing it safe for now.

Thanks Superspeed and pleased to make your acquaintance. Good tip on the wrap. May be a challenge to find a service provider here in Macau. Yes, all the necessities are in. Tried hard to get the 6NR BMW Apps included to no avail. According to the dealer, 6NR is not available for order in my region. The same applies to the 5AG Lane Change Warning. Would have loved to include BMW Apps even though I am not sure how much use I will get out of it. How do you guys find BMW Apps so far? Useful?

Thanks for the kind comments. Responses like yours reaffirm that starting the blog was a good, helpful idea and not just an obnoxious ego-fest for a kid babbling about his car.

Don't worry about BMW Apps. I've never used it. I've played with it some sitting in the driveway, but I haven't cared enough to bother while driving. I think the music features (MOG, Pandora, etc.) could be useful, but I don't as I just buy it all through iTunes and keep it on my iPod/iPhone. I haven't even bothered to get the cradle because it's $270, I'd never use it as I know I'd forget my iPhone every time I got out of the car, and I'd have to replace it next time I get a new iPhone. It's really not a big deal for my use. Maybe others are using it, but the utility of the things like Facebook, Wiki, Calendar, etc. are limited and not worth bothering. I've posted to FB from it once, and i immediately commented after that saying it would be my last post because it was the most obnoxious thing in the world. Not too surprising that most people feel that way about a post saying "Southern is driving through Mobile, AL listening to Aerosmith, and it's 98 degrees."

My F12 doesn't have Apps, but my F20 has. There are two features within it that I like:

The one I use every day is the internet radio, giving me access to the whole world. Since I tend to get bored of my own downloads on iPhone or iPod after a while, I love streaming the music directly in the car. Menues and search oportunities are very good, and your favourites can be stored under the preset buttons.

The other feature is Wiki local, giving you information on almost every building or attraction in the area. Since I didn't know about this before I got it, I was surprised about the overwhelming info. Not really a necessary feature, but cool.

To me the internet radio alone justifies the price. I've got the media craddle in both cars, which I also find to be a very tidy way to store the phone

I agree with you both that the most compelling application probably would be internet music. The rest of the apps are much better implemented on the iPhone or the iPad. With A2DP over BT, I suppose I can stream music or even soundtracks from videos on the iPad to the surround system.

Wasn't aware that the Wiki app is location-sensitive. Certainly sounds cool to get location info where the car travels. I can imagine it being useful when you do get the opportunity to drive to new and unfamiliar spots. Unfortunately for my case, Macau is a tiny tiny place, populated by giant casino complexes. Once you have seen one of them, you have pretty much seen them all.

I am still planning on getting the cradle. I understand that you need the cradle to get album art on the iDrive screen. Superspeed, does album art appear on your F12 when your iPhone is placed on the cradle? Just wondering whether I need BMW Apps for the Album Art feature.

I am still planning on getting the cradle. I understand that you need the cradle to get album art on the iDrive screen. Superspeed, does album art appear on your F12 when your iPhone is placed on the cradle? Just wondering whether I need BMW Apps for the Album Art feature.

You get album art even without the craddle, by just connecting the white Apple cable to the USB inside the armrest. Probably you need the option 6NF though (smart phone integration).

The craddle is useful since it connects your phone to the roof antenna, which impoves reception. Also it allows you to watch the videos you might have on your iPhone on (only the Media adapter, not the Music adapter).

Basically you need the craddle for displaying Apps, but maybe some of it also works just with the Apple cable. Your dealer should know.

We get smart phone integration standard in the U.S., but BMW Apps and the cradle are separate purchases.

The only think I added was BMW Apps as I didn't want to regret not getting it later if there is a future app that I find appealing.

I only use the white Apple cable (no cradle) connected to my old iPhone 4 (deactivated, i.e. no data plan) that has music stored on it, and I get all of the iPod functions and cover art with the cable alone. Like Superspeed said, the cradle gives you video, and it also gives you the iPod Plugin feature (part of BMW Apps). Plugin gives you the iPod interface that can be navigated through iDrive (I think the system reads this like it is a video, which requires the cradle). This is the only thing that is somewhat appealing to me, but I can't justify getting the cradle just for that. I find the normal iPhone/USB/external devices menu in iDrive to be easy to navigate with the iDrive controller and steering wheel controls, and I also get the cover art.

The Wiki feature does seem useful, but I don't get out much lol. I think if I did more interstate travel and longer road trips I'd find the internet radio useful. I rarely spend more than 30 minutes in the car at a time (unless I'm joy riding ), so my iPod is sufficient. I'm hoping that BMW Apps adds something so good it will make me buy the cradle, but I can't justify it right now... And that is saying something since a change in the weather is just about all it takes to convince me to buy a cool new gadget.

I rarely spend more than 30 minutes in the car at a time (unless I'm joy riding )

Southerner, aquiring a 6 series for those 30 minutes trips must be the overkill of the year
If you don't have any long trips, make some!

I am a gadget guy myself, hence craddles in both cars. I was "stupid" to buy an F12 that my local dealer already had in order, to shorten the waiting time by a few weeks. It was quite well specced, but Apps was not on the list

The much more important things that I miss are LED headlights and adaptive cc. These options however were not yet in production or even possible to order at that time. That's the price to pay for having the first customer 6 series in Norway!

I've tried to get Apps retrofitted to the 6er, but they say it's impossible. I doubt it is anything else than a new software needed, so I haven't taken the no for a no.
BMW is developing new Apps all the time, so at least I am prepared with my F20

That's odd. I had tried connecting an iPhone 4S using the white Apple cable to an F12, F13 and even a brand new F30 at my dealer without any luck in getting the cover art to show on the iDrive display. Like Southern, I buy all my music from iTunes. All three cars were equipped with the 6NF Smartphone Integration option. What am I missing? Could it be the 4S or perhaps some outdated software in the cars?

You guys are going to go nuts. My daily commute to the office is less than 15 minutes each way and I am already taking the longest possible route without breaking any speed limits... well, mostly when I can help it.

I have been driving the E92 since 2007 and still loving every single minute of it. However, one look at the F13 last Christmas, I knew I had to get it. My regular guy at the dealer just handed me the key fob without having to say a single word. I was completely defenseless against those lines and curves. I know, it made completely no financial sense whatsoever, nor any rationale for that matter but it had to be done. I believe you folks are the handful of people on the planet who can relate to the feeling.

I'm determined to find some twisty mountains sometime in the near future so my car doesn't lose faith in me and go back to Germany. I try to make the best of my dreary, pathetic roads. I'm getting about 10.5 mpg, so I think it's getting some good exercise

LOL. I have discovered some time back that that budgets and ultimate driving machines do not go together. The best approach is to assume the vehicle starts off fully loaded and eliminate items that are either unobtainable or unattractive to "save money".

Any idea on the cover art? Does cover art show when plugged to an iPhone 4S?

Yes, I do get cover art with my white cable and iPhone 4S. On the occasion that my battery gets low before I go to bed, I just swap the iPhones rather than pulling out my car charger that is buried deep in the bowels of my console. I get the exact same functions with my 4S - aside from the 4S being activated so I get Facebook, Wiki, Pandora, etc.

I'm not sure what the issue was. Maybe it was software or some minor option/regional variation. Idk. There are all kinds of regional program differences that are activated/deactivated depending on the market, like mirror fold with locking or holding the lock button on the key fob, rear fog lights deactivated in the U.S., etc.

No idea here either. Allthough you normally should get the covers displayed just with the cable, one of the benefits BMW themselves highlight about the craddle (both the music and the media version) is cover art.
Btw the cradle charges the phone as well, something you miss with the Apple cable. I'd say it's worth the money. I'll soon be getting a new phone, and from then the old one will stay in the car with an activated twin SIM card (no extra costs other than the card itself).

It is reassuring to know that all I need is the cable. I will try it out again the next time I am at the dealer's. Hope it is not a regional lock-out like the other features. Thanks again for the advice guys.